ELBERT HUBBARD'S RAILROAD JOURNEYS By David M. Hamilton
The Roycroft era was also the golden age of railroads, a time when travel meant taking a relaxing trip through small towns and past scenic landscapes. Many of Elbert Hubbard’s writings were no doubt composed while traveling back to East Aurora on trains, with details of his experiences still fresh in his mind. A number of Business Little Journeys were produced for railroads, and the reprinting of “A Message to Garcia” by the New York Central Railroad certainly played an important role in bringing the Roycroft national fame. The following examples of both Roycroft and railroad memorabilia recall the days of Elbert Hubbard’s “Railroad Journeys”.
East Aurora Commuter Ticket During his employment with the Larkin Soap Company, Hubbard was a regular commuter aboard the trains of the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad between East Aurora and Buffalo. It was on those trips that ideas from secret meetings with co-author Alice Moore were put on paper to form his first published work. Using the pseudonym Aspasia Hobbs, Elbert Hubbard entered the literary world in 1891 with the printing of The Man. This ticket, issued to East Aurora resident Cassia Pratt, is of the same type that Hubbard would have used on his daily commute.
	Boston & Albany RR Timetable Abandoning a successful career at Larkin Soap, Hubbard used the proceeds from the sale of his interest in the company to finance enrollment at Harvard in 1893. He no doubt contemplated plans for future endeavors while making trips between Buffalo and Boston. This is the joint Boston & Albany / New York Central & Hudson River Railroad timetable in effect at the time of his travels over this route.
A Message to Garcia “A Message to Garcia”, first published in The Philistine in 1899, caught the attention of George Daniels, General Passenger Agent of the New York Central Railroad. A master of the art of publicity, Daniels saw the value of associating the railroad with Hubbard’s essay and arranged to have it reprinted as part of the Central’s “Four Track Series”. As a result, over one million copies were printed, and the Roycroft became a household name across the nation.
	Tickets on Suspicion With national fame and personal acquaintance with company officials, Elbert Hubbard traveled on railroad passes through most of the first decade of the 20^th century. Greater public scrutiny of business practices and government regulation soon resulted in the elimination of most free travel, though. In a 1907 business Little Journey, Hubbard bemoaned the loss of his travel privileges, a subject at which this piece of Denslow artwork seems to poke fun. Here, George Daniels seeks a ticket from Hubbard, who would like payment to be made “on suspicion”.
PRR Buffalo Timetable Ironically, in 1900 the railroad line to East Aurora came under the control of the Pennsylvania Railroad, arch rival to the New York Central. No relationship with the Roycroft seems to have been developed by the PRR, perhaps due to the Roycroft’s association with the Central. Another pivotal point in Hubbard’s life occurred when boarding the train to Buffalo on December 9, 1902, as divorce papers from his first wife Bertha were served him on the platform. His letter informing future second wife Alice of the situation was written while enroute on the train, the schedule for which is shown here.
	Politeness Pays Over the years, several Business Little Journeys were produced for railroads, including “Politeness Pays” for the Grand Trunk, “Courtesy as an Asset” for the BR&P and “How to Get Others to do Your Work” about the Wabash. Each praised the hard work of the line’s employees and contained anecdotes of Hubbard’s trips (although they all had an uncanny similarity).
The Romance of the Railroad While most of the Business Little Journeys followed the same general theme, the 1910 “Romance of the Railroad” differed in that it described the opening of the Erie Railroad Bergen Cut with a resulting improvement in service. Besides the PRR, the Erie was the New York Central’s only real competitor for New York to Chicago traffic, so it is interesting that the Roycroft produced this pamphlet.
	The Railroad Men Whether a heartfelt appreciation for railroad workers, or an attempt to gain interest for additional Business Little Journeys, Hubbard offered a preachment on his views of good railroad service in the 1913 pamphlet, “The Railroad Men”. It does not appear that any were printed for particular companies, although some railroads may have purchased this version for distribution.
Here endeth Elbert Hubbard’s Railroad Journeys. Join us on the next journey (coming soon) to see more pamphlets, some railroad mottos, and a ticket used by Elbert Hubbard. The author is seeking the pamphlet “A Little Journey over the BR&P” and has some interesting Roycroft items to trade. Please email if you have one to sell or trade.